Telephone-call register.



W. G. DODGE & C. H. LEAVE.

v TELEPHONE CALL REGISTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 19:4.

25;; Patented May 4,1915.

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WILLIAM G. jDODGE AND CHARLES HORACE LEAVE, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

TELEPHONE-CALL REGISTER.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4-, 13 15.

Application filed March 20, 1914. Serial No. 826,109.

. companying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a device for registering telephone calls made by a telephone subscriber, and the object of'the invention is to provide a novel device of this nature which is located at the subscribersstation and in position to be observed by the subscriber, but which can be operated only from the central station, and then only when the subscribers receiver is off from the hook of his instrument.

The device comprises a recording instrument adapted to give a visual record of'the number of calls made, and means whereby this recording instrument can be actuated only from the central station by the operator and then only when the subscribers receiver is ofi from his hook.

In using the device the subscriber will get the central station in usual manner and put in his call, and when the connection is made, but just before thetelephonic conversation takes place, the operator at central station will actuate the register thereby causing it to count the call. The recording movement of the register can be seen by the subscriber and as the recorder is always in View, the subscriber can note whether or not his calls are correctly registered.

Our invention is a protection to the telephone company as it provides means for accurately registering the number of calls which a subscriber makes, and is also a protection for the subscriber because therecorder cannot be operated except when the telephone receiver is o'lf the hook, and, therefore, it will be impossible for the op orator at the central station to actuate the recorder except when the subscribers tele phone is being used, and when the subscriber is in position to note the fact that corder is actuated.

In order to illustrate vthe invention we have disclosed in the drawing one embodiment thereof which will now be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims. 4

Referring to the drawings, Figure l is a the re- View showing diagrammatically a subscribers telephone set and illustrating in diagram the application of our invention thereto; Figs. 2 and 3 are different viewsof the recording device.

In Fig. 1 wehave shown the telephone circuit and the subscribers telephone set-in diagram only, and 1 and 2 designate the two sides of the telephone circuit which leads from a central station and includes the subscribers telephone set. This is shown in diagram only, and 3 indicates the transmit ter, 4 the receiver, 5 the ordinary receiver hook on which the receiver is hung when the telephone is not in use, 6 and 7 the usual that the telephone circuit 1, 2 is supplied with currentfrom a suitable source of supply 9 located at the central station:

In applying our invention to a telephone circuit, we provide a circuit connection at the subscribers telephone set which is con: structed to be connected automatically with one side of the telephone circuit when the receiver is taken oif from its hook 5, and we further provide a recording device connected tosaid connection, and means operable from the central station by'the telephone operator to send a call-recording current through said side of the telephone circuit and said connection thereby to actuate the recorder. In the construction herein shown this connection, which is designated 10, is a grounded connection, it being grounded at 11. It is provided with a contact 12 adapted to be engaged by the receiver hook 5 when the latter" is raised, said contact being thus connected to the two sides ofthe tele phone circuit. I v I Opr improved recording device comprises an electro-magnet 13 connected in the "grounded conneetion 10-, a register'or indicator 140, and means whereby the indieator or register will be advanced one step each timethemagnet 13 is energized. As herein shown, said magnet 13 is mounted on dsuit'able basej l5 and provided with an armature 14: pivoted to the'base at 16. This armature has pivotally connected thereto a pawl or finger 17 adapted to engage a ratchet wheel 1-8 on one of the disks of the indicator or counter 140, the construction being such that each .time the magnet 13 is energized I .and the armature attracted thereto the disk 14 will be turned forward one tooth. The

register will have a plurality of'indicating,

diskssimilar to an ordinary meter, the disks representing units, tens, hundreds, 'thou- ";s'ands, etc., and these disks will be actuated ..'-by the ordinary construction found in meters, but which is not herein shown, as itof itself forms no part'oflthe present. invention. The armature l' i 'isnormally held in; the positionshown in Figs. 2 and?) by" means of a spring 18 which is herein shown as connected at one end "to -'the'armature and at the other end'to'an arm secured to the base. Y g

20 designates 'a'; stop screw. adpistably- -mounted iii a-bracket21 and by which the backward movement of the armature is lim iited, and 22 is another stop screw adjustably mounted in the armature by which the forward movement thereof can be limited.

- These two adjusting screws provide for adthat at'eachj actua ion thereof the indicator justing'the move ent of, the armature so I will be moved'for'ward one step. The actuating finger "l7 s shown as held in its oper- .ative 'position li y tery 25,-but any suitable source of current shown as connected to the side 1 ofthe telephone circuit 'by means of a switch 26 sit 'ator' at the central station. 6 I scriber removes his receiver from the tele-' phonehook and calls central station-1n the I usual manner. In thus removing the telephone. receiver the grounded (30111180131011 l0 supply may be employed. This battery is 'uated to be operated by the telephone oper- In the operation of the device the subis connected to the'telephone'circuitbut bee eaeseerfiie presenee of the magnet 13. m 'sa dc'onneetion and the fact that said con-- neetion is grounded the normal currents in the telephonecircuit 1 and 2 are not dis-- turbed,-nor does the presence of this ground-- ed connection interfere with'the ordinary telephone operation. After the operator has. connected up the subscriber with the party' to whom he wishes to talk, said operator will. then close the switch26 momentarily, thus completing a recorder-operating circuit com.- prising the connection 24, battery 25,. side 1 of the telephone circuit and grounded. con-,

nection 10. By this act the current from-thesource of supply 25 will be. sent through the magnet 13 of the recording device, and this current is of sufiicient volumeand. strengthto actuate this magnet. Theenergizati'onof. the magnet 13 advances the recordergoner step, thus causing indication f the fact that a call hasbeen made This recorder will be. placed in position where it can be observed by the subscriber, and he can, therefore, note the fact thatthe call has been regis.-- tered. Further, the actuation of the recordingdevice will produce a click or other noise which the subscriber can readily recognize. Moreover, it will benoted that the grounded connection 10 is disconnected from the telephonecircuit, and therefore the recorder is "rendered inoperative so long as the receiver 'is on the-hook 5, and hence it is impossible for-the operator at the central station to actuate the subscribers recording. device without the subscribers knowledge.

Having described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

1.111 a telephone bination with a telephone circuitincluding a subscriberis telephone set, of an electrically-actuated call recorder, a circuit there-v for normally continuous through said record'er and having a terminal situated to be engaged by the hook of the subscribers instrurnent when the receiver is removed therefrom whereby the removal of the receiver 'will'automatically connect said ,call recorder circuit to one side of the telephone circuit, and means operable fro the central station call recorder, the com to siipply to said side 0 the telephone cir-' cuit and call recorder circuit a current of sufiicient volume to operate the latter without interfering with any conversation being carriedon over the telephone circuit.

2. Ina device of the class described, the

combination with a telephone circuit including a subscribers telephone set, of a grounded normally continuous connection-having a terminal situated to be engaged by the hook of thesubscriibers set when the receiver is remeved there-from whereby said grounded connection is connected toone side of the tele hone circuit, an electrically.-actuated're: corine' devicein said grounded connection,

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and means at the central station to send through said side of the telephonecircuit and the grounded connectionsv call-recording current of sufficient volume to operate the recording device Without interfering With any conversation being carried on over the telephone circuit.

In testimony whereof We have signed. our

names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM G. DODGE. CHARLES HORACE LEA 

